Suture-removing instrument

ABSTRACT

A curved needle is provided with a sharp inner edge or blade and a blunted point whereby it may be used to remove surgical sutures with a minimum of discomfort to the patient and with a minimum of infection risks since the articles may be supplied in sterilized packages and discarded after use.

I United States Patent 1 3,600,806

[mentor EdmundRNIccesh I56) ReferencesCited 733 N. Vermont St.,Arlington. Va. 22203 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2 m0 2,370,440 2/1945 Beavin10/289 f d 1"" ml 2,597,564 5/1952 Bugg, /0108 2,693,641 11/1954 Omoto/294 2.865374 12/1958 Brownetalu 128/305 ,V 3,212,187 10/1965Benedict... 30/165 3365.798 lll968 Cunningham 30/294x SL'TURE-REMOVINGINSTRUMENT 9Cl\ims.8 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl. .1 30/294 Int. Cl. 1 .B26b27/00. A61!) 19/00 Field lSearcl'r. v1111111 5 30/282, 286. 289, 294 356, DIG 8.161309, 314, 318; 128/305Primary Examiner Robert C. Riordon Arlarney$mith, Michael, Bradford &Gardiner SUTURE-REMOVING INSTRUMENT The invention is concerned withmedical instruments. In particular it is concerned with the provision ofa relatively inexpensive conveniently packaged instrument for removingsutures or stitches after a wound or surgical incision has healedsufficiently to be self-adherent.

The common practice today, despite the availability of suture-removingtools such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,2 l 2,187, is for the surgeon toremove sutures with scissors and forceps. The scissors are generally ofthe type wherein one blade is provided with a rounded or somewhat dullpoint which must be inserted beneath the suture against the woundwithout damage thereto. Once inserted the suture is cut and the wholeprocess is repeated until all sutures are cut one by one and are removedby tugging gently with forceps.

While there are a variety of type of sutures and techniques of sewing anopen wound occasioned by surgery or accident, the suture must extendacross the wound area generally transverse to the wound area. Since thisportion of the suture generally remains free of tissue it is generallythis portion of the suture material that is cut prior to removal withforceps. Obviously, since the sutures are tightly drawn across thewound, it is necessary to press against the wound area to insert theblade of a scissor beneath the cross portion of the suture to cut samefor removal. This action can not only cause considerable discomfort, asmentioned, but the risk of infection is always present since thescissors are used repeatedly on different patients. While every effortis made to assure sterilization of all surgical instruments the factremains that sterilization may be incomplete or that, through oversightthe instruments may not be sterilized at all.

With the disadvantages of prior practices established, it is an objectof the present invention to provide a suture-cutting instrument.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a sutureremovinginstrument which is inexpensive and thus may be discarded immediatelyafter use.

It is still another object of the invention to produce a sutureremovingmedical instrument that can be readily manipulated with greatfamiliarity by the professional user.

An additional object of the invention is to produce a suture removalinstrument that minimizes danger of infection by contact with thepatient.

These and other objects of the invention, not necessarily specificallyrecited herein, but readily apparent to those skilled in the art, areaccomplished by providing a thin curved needlelike clement with a blunttip end and a very sharp edge facing inwardly toward the axis of thecurve. The opposite end of the needlelike element may be provided with aflat area or handle, while the cutting edge may be fashioned integrallywith the element or separately therefrom. A portion of either theneedlelike element or the cutting edge may be provided with a verynarrow V-shaped notch which will engage and grasp the cut end of asuture to enable its removal from the body tissue ofa patient.

With a general description of the invention set forth, atten tion is nowdirected to the drawings appended hereto and also to the detaileddescriptive material related thereto and wherein:

FIG. I is a side view of the most elementary form of suture removinginstrument enlarged considerably for illustrative purposes.

FIG. 2 is a front end view of the article shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view ofa modification ofthe elementaryinstrument.

FIG. 4 is still another modification of the instrument of FIG. 1 againshown in enlarged side view.

FIG. 5 is a further modification of the FIG. 3 form of the inventionalso shown as an enlarged side view partly in section.

FIG. 6 shows in side elevation an improved form of the invention andFIG. 7 is a further enlarged view of the circuit circumscribed areashown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. I, ofa further modification of thebasic structure.

Turning attention to FIG. 1 it may be seen that the instrument isdefined by a thin needlelike rod I. The needlelike rod I is curved intoa generally U-shaped configuration. Preferably the curve would define anarc ofa circle.

One end 3 of the needlelike rod is blunted. Preferably this blunted endis capped by a bulbous mass 5 which may be generally finished to theform of a sphere. The spherical mass may be formed separately and forcedonto the blunt end 3 or it may be an integral part of the curved rod Ian option dictated primarily by the type of materials used andmanufacturing convenience.

As shown clearly in FIGS. 1 and 2, the needlelike rod is sharpened to aknife edge 7 extending along the entire arcuate inner surface. Thus, inits simplest form the invention comprises a curved needlelike rod ofelliptical cross section, having a blunted end and the inner surface ofthe ellipse ground to razor sharpness to define a cutting edge. Thisform of the invention would be fabricated of metal of the same qualityas that used in manufacturing surgical needles. The spherical end 5 maybe fabricated of any suitable material and forced over the end of therod or made integrally therewith as manufacturing techniques maydictate.

Use of the instrument is quite simple. The rod is grasped with a needleholder or Kelly clamp. The spherical end is carefully inserted betweenthe suture in and the surface skin of the patient. As the instrument ismoved beneath the suture the sharp edge contacts the suture and quicklysevers same. Because of its small size the insertion beneath the sutureis quite easily and quickly affected without discomfort to the patient.There is little or no danger of puncture of the wound beneath the suturebecause the spherical or bulbous end cap 5 is readily guided against theskin.

One very distinctive advantage of the instrument is the fact that it issimilar in configuration to a conventional surgeon's needle. Thus, thefeel" of the instrument to the user is quite familiar thus enabling itsuse with complete confidence by the user.

A further form of the invention is shown in FIG. 3. Again the instrumentcomprises a needlelike rod 31 having a bulbous or spherical end 35. Inthis instance the needlelike rod is cylindrical in form and instead ofsharpening the rod 31 itself a generally segmental blade 37 is affixedto the needlelike rod. The blade 37 has a sharp edge 39 facing inwardlyof the curved rod 31. The blade may be affixed in position and bonded tothe needlelike rod 31 by any suitable manufacturing technique.

FIG. 4 is illustrative of another form of the invention. In thismodification of the very elementary structure of FIG. 1, the end ll ofthe rod la, opposite the bulbous tip 5a, is flattened to form ahandlelike area. This configuration is most convenient to use beingsimilar to the conventional suture-applying needle used by a majority ofsurgeons. The flat area II provides a convenient means to grasp theinstrument with the conventional surgeon's needle holder or clamp in theevent the user desires to avoid the change of contact of his own handswith the wound. In this modification, the cutting means is a very finewire as distinguished from a blade as shown in FIG. 3. Preferably thehandle like area ll would be incorporated with any embodiment of theinvention either previously or about to be described herein after.

In FIG. 5 a further form of the basic instrument is disclosed, partly insection. This more sophisticated structure lends itself quite readily toprevailing manufacturing techniques and facilitates the use of modernmaterials. In this form of the invention, the needlelike rod SI mayparticularly lend itself to fabrication from a high strength, rigid,synthetic material. One such material is high impact polystyrene amaterial well known in the plastics industry and available from avariety of manufacturers.

After fabrication into the basic curved configuration by knowntechniques, the curved needlelike rod is slit in the area bounded bypoints 590 and 59b to define a slot 59 which extends through theneedlelike rod toward the center of the arc which it defines.

A suitable blade like element 57 having a sharpened edge 57a is insertedinto the slot to define the suture cutting means. This blade element canbe manufactured of stainless steel or the like by known techniques suchas used in the manufacture of razor blades or the like.

In FIGS. 6 and 7 there is illustrated a modification of the inventionshown in FIG. 5. It should be realized that this modification hasutility in either or any of the various structural forms illustrated. Asshown the blade element is provided with a very narrow notch 61 in itsedge adjacent the handle end of the needlelike rod element.

This notch 61 serves as a means whereby the loose ends of the cut suturemay be caught and gently pulled to remove the suture from the woundarea. Because even after severance, the suture will not grow slack andbecause, unavoidably, some tension must be exerted to pull the suturefrom the body tissue, the notch 61 will catch and hold the suture end.Since the blade is quite thin hence the edges of the notch are quitewell defined and quite close together.

A further modified form of the structure is disclosed in FIG. 8. Theneedlelike rod 63 is provided with curved lower portion 63 holding blade65. The working end 67 of rod 61 is bulbous. The remaining portion 69 ofthe needlelike rod 69 forms a handle. This form of the invention may bepreferred since the place where it is grasped is even further removedfrom the wound area during use.

The invention having been described and illustrated in its basic andmore sophisticated structural forrn, attention is directed to the claimsdefining the spirit and scope of thereof and wherein:

What I claim is:

l. A suture-removing article comprising an arcuately curved needlelikerod, :1 bulbous end defining the terminus at one end thereof and acutting means carried by the needlelike rod, the cutting edge facingtoward the center of the arc defined by the rod.

2. A suture-removing article as set forth in claim 1, wherein the rod iselliptical in cross section and said cutting means is formed integrallytherewith.

3. A suture-removing article as defined in claim I where the otherterminal end of the needlelike rod is flattened to define a handle likearea.

4. A suture-removing article as defined in claim I wherein the cuttingmeans comprises a blade attached to the needlelike rod element.

5. The structure defined in claim I wherein the cutting means is a finewire bisecting the curved needlelike rod.

6. The structure as defined in claim I wherein an elongated handle isdefined by a portion of said needlelike rod.

7. A suture-removing article as defined in claim 1 wherein saidneedlelike rod is longitudinally slit and said blade is frictionallyengaged thereto by insertion through the slit.

8. A suture-moving article as defined in claim I wherein the one end ofthe needlelike rod is flattened to define a handlelike area.

9. A suture-removing article as defined in claim 4 wherein said blade isprovided with a notch disposed adjacent the rod at a point remote fromthe bulbous end of the rod.

1. A suture-removing article comprising an arcuately curved needlelikerod, a bulbous end defining the terminus at one end thereof and acutting means carried by the needlelike rod, the cutting edge facingtoward the center of the arc defined by the rod.
 2. A suture-removingarticle as set forth in claim 1, wherein the rod is elliptical in crosssection and said cutting means is formed integrally therewith.
 3. Asuture-removing article as defined in claim 1 where the other terminalend of the needlelike rod is flattened to define a handle like area. 4.A suture-removing article as defined in claim 1 wherein the cuttingmeans comprises a blade attached to the needlelike rod element.
 5. Thestructure defined in claim 1 wherein the cutting means is a fine wirebisecting the curved needlelike rod.
 6. The structure as defined inclaim 1 wherein an elongated handle is defined by a portion of saidneedlelike rod.
 7. A suture-removing article as defined in claim 1wherein said needlelike rod is longitudinally slit and said blade isfrictionally engaged thereto by insertion through the slit.
 8. Asuture-moving article as defined in claim 1 wherein the one end of theneedlelike rod is flattened to define a handlelike area.
 9. Asuture-removing article as defined in claim 4 wherein said blade isprovided with a notch disposed adjacent the rod at a point remote fromthe bulbous end of the rod.